In addition to “normal” classes, I’d add some game-like challenges, that can earn extra Quirrel points or whatever.
For example: the class is split in teams of five. Using only the contents of a standard kitchen, each team must find a way to move a egg as far as possible without breaking it (catapult, chariot on wheels … the exact rules should be such that creative cheating could be possible, though the obvious cheats (hard-boiling the egg) should be banned). Points are awarded depending on how far your egg got relative to the other teams.
Variant number one: there is a traitor in each team. Traitors get points proportional to how badly their team fared (Possibly, teams may get extra points for identifying the traitor).
Variant number two: before launching the devices, each team presents it’s device to the other students. Then for each device, each student records a probability that it will be among the first three, and a probability that it will be among the last three. Points are awarded according to how well you guessed, and to how many people in other teams bet your device would win (so you have an incentive to oversell your device).
Variant number three: each team builds an egg-moving device, but it is launched by another team. You must fit the device and any instructions inside a shoe box, and the other team has exactly one minute to launch the egg. Points are split between the builders and the launchers.
Variant number four: While building the device, the students don’t know which of the above variant they’re playing, they don’t know if there’s a traitor, if someone else will be launching the device, whether they should prepare an advertisement speech, etc., they’re only told once the device is done.
… actually, if I had to design a degree, what I’d actually do is first list a lot of challenges like that (and rule variants), ask friends to design some too, and for each one list what kind of skills it helps build, what kind of skills it helps test (for this example: the base exercise is teamwork and creativity and craft, adding traitors means you have to balance he teamwork with paranoia), and then make a more careful selection of challenges.
Actually, a good homework question for a lot of subjects would be “How would you design a little game or challenge that uses this skill or knowledge you just learned”—just thinking about that would probably make the knowledge stick a bit better, in addition to giving you a huge “suggestions” box.
In addition to “normal” classes, I’d add some game-like challenges, that can earn extra Quirrel points or whatever.
For example: the class is split in teams of five. Using only the contents of a standard kitchen, each team must find a way to move a egg as far as possible without breaking it (catapult, chariot on wheels … the exact rules should be such that creative cheating could be possible, though the obvious cheats (hard-boiling the egg) should be banned). Points are awarded depending on how far your egg got relative to the other teams.
Variant number one: there is a traitor in each team. Traitors get points proportional to how badly their team fared (Possibly, teams may get extra points for identifying the traitor).
Variant number two: before launching the devices, each team presents it’s device to the other students. Then for each device, each student records a probability that it will be among the first three, and a probability that it will be among the last three. Points are awarded according to how well you guessed, and to how many people in other teams bet your device would win (so you have an incentive to oversell your device).
Variant number three: each team builds an egg-moving device, but it is launched by another team. You must fit the device and any instructions inside a shoe box, and the other team has exactly one minute to launch the egg. Points are split between the builders and the launchers.
Variant number four: While building the device, the students don’t know which of the above variant they’re playing, they don’t know if there’s a traitor, if someone else will be launching the device, whether they should prepare an advertisement speech, etc., they’re only told once the device is done.
… actually, if I had to design a degree, what I’d actually do is first list a lot of challenges like that (and rule variants), ask friends to design some too, and for each one list what kind of skills it helps build, what kind of skills it helps test (for this example: the base exercise is teamwork and creativity and craft, adding traitors means you have to balance he teamwork with paranoia), and then make a more careful selection of challenges.
Actually, a good homework question for a lot of subjects would be “How would you design a little game or challenge that uses this skill or knowledge you just learned”—just thinking about that would probably make the knowledge stick a bit better, in addition to giving you a huge “suggestions” box.